Kayak sprint: McKeever gives Britain another gold

LONDON: Great Britain’s Ed McKeever seized Olympic gold in the men’s single kayak 200m sprint with a dominant victory in the final. McKeever, 28, led from the start as he powered over the K1 line ahead of Spain’s Saul Craviotto and bronze medallist Mark de Jonge of Canada. McKeever punched the air in triumph but admitted his overwhelming feeling was one of relief. “Just a big relief,” said the Brit. “It sounds strange. Not elation, more relief and so happy I could do it in front of the home crowd, it’s brilliant. I was really just focused on the first two or three strokes and I wanted to nail those and get out cleanly and I did. In two other men’s finals, Yuri Cheban of Ukraine won the men’s single canoe 200m while New Zealand’s Lisa Carrington won the women’s single kayak 200m.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 12^th, 2012.